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Coat and Breeches

1680s (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Man’s coat and breeches; the coat is made of brown worsted, interlined with linen and lined with dark blue woollen broadcloth. It has curving 2-piece sleeves ending between elbow and wrist, and narrow skirts below the waist. Each sleeve turns back to form a long narrow cuff with curved ends, revealing the broadcloth lining. The centre back seam is open below the hip and the side seams between the hip and 3 inches above the hem. A ¼ inch (6 mm) wide woven lace of black silk and silver filé decorates the coat fronts, back and sleeves, applied in strips folded in half and knotted at the other end. On the left front, these loop around the 21 cut button holes. There were buttons, wooden core covered with black silk and silver filé, on the right front (30 original, 12 replacements), 15 at each side opening (29 original, one replacement) and 13 (11 original, 2 replacements) at the centre back opening.

The coat originally had a round neckline bound with a narrow strip of worsted. A 1⅜-inch (3.5 cm) collar of the same worsted was later whipped to the neck binding.

The breeches appear to have been originally for another suit. The waistband is made of the same worsted, but the legs are of a slightly different shade of brown worsted. Lined with linen, they are lightly gathered at the waist, tapering to below the knee. Each leg has 8 buttons, of brown silk-covered wooden cores and different from those on the coat, in a line about 9½-inches (24 cm) above the hem. There is a pocket opening on each front and a watch pocket in the waistband on each side, all with linen pocket bags. The watch pockets have a braided silk loop (missing on the left) and a black silk/silver button on the waistband to fasten them. There is a worked eyelet on each side of the waistbands at centre back, a worked buttonhole and button fastening the centre front, a buttonhole stand on the left with 2 worked buttonholes and 2 black silk/silver filé buttons on the right. Each outer leg has 7 worked buttonholes and 6 buttons (2 missing). The pocket openings, centre front opening and button stand are bound with ½-inch (1.3 cm) dark brown silk grosgrain ribbon. There is a remnant of the black silk/silver woven lace on the outside of the left leg. The breeches were altered for size with a strip of worsted (same as the legs) inserted at the inside seam.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Coat
  • Breeches
Materials and techniques
Wool, linen, silk, silver; hand-woven, hand-sewn
Brief description
Man's suit of coat and breeches, 1680s, English; Brown worsted, black silk and silver woven lace trimming
Physical description
Man’s coat and breeches; the coat is made of brown worsted, interlined with linen and lined with dark blue woollen broadcloth. It has curving 2-piece sleeves ending between elbow and wrist, and narrow skirts below the waist. Each sleeve turns back to form a long narrow cuff with curved ends, revealing the broadcloth lining. The centre back seam is open below the hip and the side seams between the hip and 3 inches above the hem. A ¼ inch (6 mm) wide woven lace of black silk and silver filé decorates the coat fronts, back and sleeves, applied in strips folded in half and knotted at the other end. On the left front, these loop around the 21 cut button holes. There were buttons, wooden core covered with black silk and silver filé, on the right front (30 original, 12 replacements), 15 at each side opening (29 original, one replacement) and 13 (11 original, 2 replacements) at the centre back opening.

The coat originally had a round neckline bound with a narrow strip of worsted. A 1⅜-inch (3.5 cm) collar of the same worsted was later whipped to the neck binding.

The breeches appear to have been originally for another suit. The waistband is made of the same worsted, but the legs are of a slightly different shade of brown worsted. Lined with linen, they are lightly gathered at the waist, tapering to below the knee. Each leg has 8 buttons, of brown silk-covered wooden cores and different from those on the coat, in a line about 9½-inches (24 cm) above the hem. There is a pocket opening on each front and a watch pocket in the waistband on each side, all with linen pocket bags. The watch pockets have a braided silk loop (missing on the left) and a black silk/silver button on the waistband to fasten them. There is a worked eyelet on each side of the waistbands at centre back, a worked buttonhole and button fastening the centre front, a buttonhole stand on the left with 2 worked buttonholes and 2 black silk/silver filé buttons on the right. Each outer leg has 7 worked buttonholes and 6 buttons (2 missing). The pocket openings, centre front opening and button stand are bound with ½-inch (1.3 cm) dark brown silk grosgrain ribbon. There is a remnant of the black silk/silver woven lace on the outside of the left leg. The breeches were altered for size with a strip of worsted (same as the legs) inserted at the inside seam.
Dimensions
  • Overall length: 98.0cm (approx)
  • Coat, chest under armholes circumference: 90.0cm (approx)
  • Breeches, overall length: 64.0cm (approx)
  • Breeches, waist circumference: 79.5cm (approx)
Object history
Isham collection
Collection
Accession number
191&A-1900

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
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